Some cowboys oh brother...

H

hartcreek

Moderator
I just picked up a Ruger Super Black Hawk in Stainless steel and .44 magnum today for a friend. I got it for a good price $508 out the door but good grief what some cowboy action wanna be did.

He scribed his handle on each side of the frame below the cylinder and to shoot in the class that he wanted he put a non adjustable sight on with black locktite. It sure was a good thing I had some carb spray and some small taps or I would never have gotten that black locktite out of the hole in the frame for the screw.
 
When I hear or read this kind of story....

I try hard not to react negatively ascribing to the person the foolishness of the action.

I like to think that the fact that I do a lot of dumb things does not make me a dumb person.

But this particular instances makes the job a little hard.

I have a somewhat odd approach to my firearms. I look at them with what could be described as reverence perhaps at a more intense level than the average dear. It originates several places:

1. a manifestation of our constitutional rights
2. a part of our heritage and history
3. a unique strength of American culture
4. a representation of technology which was way ahead of its time and in that way shaped our development not only in power but also in ingenuity.

I see these things as being important. I assume that anyone who has even a casual interest in firearms feels much the same way.

So a person who would be so seemingly callous in the treatment of a firearm must have a motivation which originates elsewhere. Somewhere I don't comprehend.

I didn't get a chance to see the markings on the side of the frame and to the marker they may be a "work of art".

Maybe the person who modified the sight owns three or four other Blackhawks and didn't see it as a real issue because he needed one to shoot at a sanctioned event.

Forgive my rambling here but this story touches me. Thanks for sharing it, Hart.
 
Many of my firearms are modified from the standard factory setup. I consider the modifications to be improvements. Perhaps better sights, trigger or action work, etc. I draw the line at marking up the metal or making decorative changes that cannot be reversed. On my match rifles sometimes I put a sticker or two, but I reckon the next owner can always remove it.

I remember in either the 70s or 80s local police departments would come to your house and electro pencil an identification number on your goods, like your TV, etc. I saw a really nice N frame S&W revolver awhile back with some previous owner's SSN scribed into the bottom of the grip frame. Forever that revolver will be worth much less than another of identical condition, sans SSN on the frame. It is a bargain to some, an atrocity to others. But to the guy who had that done, I guess it was value added.

I see Cerokoting in much the same way. It tends to devalue the piece. But people do it, and sometimes the underlying finish is so deteriorated that it may be an improvement.

But I reckon you were able to buy that revolver at a good price because it was devalued due to the modifications described.
 
I used to revere my firearms as works of art and engineering.

However, after 3 years of competition, I catch myself often living with wear and tear on my competition guns as they are "working" guns. Let's face it, you're going to get pitting around the cone. You're going to have the wood start to burn and deteriorate around the nipple. These guns are not going to stay pristine. I still clean and handle them carefully, but these are working tools I use to win competitions.

Also I am starting to get braver and braver to risk trying my own hand at gunsmithing on my cheap Pietta revolvers. I cut my own dovetail slot for a dovetail front sight on my Pietta 1858. The end result wasn't great, but I learned a lot doing it. The stirrup broke on the tumbler of my Pedersoli P58 so I replaced it with a machined Lodgewood replacement. This resulted in slop between the trigger arm on the sear and the trigger, so I built up the internal blade on the trigger with JB Weld until a good fit was achieved. I think now I'd solder on some material.

Steve
 
branding is a cowboy tradition......

Sometimes it's hard to imagine why people do things that I wouldn't. I wonder if they think that of me?

I confess to vibro-graving my initials on most of my tools. I was trying to avoid them "mixing with the herd" in someone else's toolbox. Occasionally someone else would have S-K Waynes. But I don't think that hurt their value...not that many tool collectors.

Maybe he branded everything......wonder if his wife has the same brand as the Ruger? :D
 
Couple responses:

Maillemaker,

I am with you. Good honest wear and tear is a sign of the approach (I think a positive one).

FRN,

I didn't mean to imply in my post that I think there is anything wrong with scratching you initials on your spouse. Firearms, No, Spouse, might be a good idea.

.


.


. ;o)
 
On the other hand, did you not see the name inscription and sight changes before you bought or were you focused on the price?
What does your friend think of the name inscription, now that you have changed the sight for him?
Why were you buying a gun for somebody else? You have to be careful to avoid any hint of a straw purchase these days.
 
hartcreek . . . I'm sorry but I think you really messed up . . . those things done to that wheel gun were "custom" . . so basically, it was "one of a kind"! Usually something like that is supposed to be more "collectible" and "worth more money". :):D

Hey . . let's face it . . we all have done things that maybe weren't the best things to do but we did it because it was "ours" and we wanted to make it "a little different". And then later, when we decided to "part" with it, we wondered why we made the changes we did. At least you got the sight taken care of and whatever markings there are scratched in, won't affect how it shoots.

Your tale reminds me of a Colt Python I saw one time. I'm not lover of the Python - I bought one as an investment a few years back and just sold it a month ago. But, you have to admit they are desirable by some and very collectible and downright "pricey". Anyway, I was at a gun show and saw a Python laying on that table with what I thought was a "steal" price on it. I asked the fellow if I could look at it. It looked to be 100% until I turned it over only to find the original owners drivers license number vibe etched into the side of the frame. Not that one was a "one of a kind"! But, as a shooter, it would have been just fine.
 
Sometimes I think we might get a little too caught up in keeping our firearms in pristine condition. I appreciate a fine firearm as much as the next guy and don't intentionally do weird things to mine as a rule, but at my advancing age, I will take any one of mine out and use it as intended whenever the urge hits me. I don't believe I should necessarily keep some tucked up in my safes for someone else to enjoy years from now.
I regularly grab something to haul around with me hunting and often times it's something 100+ years old.....if fact a lot of them in my safes are loaded and ready to go.
I guess I probably have what would be considered to be a substantial collection, and if I were to think one might be more suited to my needs with a little alteration, so be it. We aren't going to live forever and need to enjoy these things while we can.
 
SuperBlackHawk modification

Had a classmate who removed the rear sight and welded in a block of steel. He then milled & filed it down to make a fixed rear sight (ala Colt). The barrel was shortened and a blade replaced the ramp front sight. Afterward he had it colored case hardened at school.
 
Let's face it, Ruger Super Blackhawks and Pietta cap and ball revolvers are never going to be collector's items, at least not in our lifetime.
 
My Pietta Remington NMA needed a bit of working, especially in the loading window so as to be able to load my custom made bullets. But then I don't intend to sell my pistol. However that doesn't mean it won't be found on a table for sale when I'm gone.

And I had to do the same with my Ruger Old Army to load my 285 grn WFN custom bullets. But then I'll not sell it either.

But I don't do any personal ingraving. Neither here nor there though...
 
Doc...

I tried to follow your suggestion of "ascribing" (I'm sure that's the right term), my initials on my spouse.

She took my ascribing tool and gave me a.......Oh, I'm so ashamed ..... nose piercing. :(

Now, everytime I blow my nose......ffffffwheeeet......the dog comes.

See, there he is again!
 
Good one FRN...

My initials are "BAH" so any time I put them on anything I get a laugh.

When I was in the Navy I had to sign my name and the signature spelled "Barry A. Hoy". More then one personnelman made me get out my ID card and prove I wasn't joshing him.
 
"Operatrion Identification" yep FIL had the sticker on the mailbox, & the numbers on almost everything... forunately only a couple guns got numbered before he saw the light... 1st thing I did after taking over his collection, was send those Operation ID guns down the road... never be an increase in value of any of those...
 
Interesting Names

I recently worked with a guy that had just gotten out of the Army, whose last name was " Samples ".
One of our guys mentioned that it was too bad he didn't go into the Navy. ( Seaman Samples)!
He said he would have preferred the Navy, but it wouldn't have been worth the Hell he would have had to put up with.
I liked to imagine him going into a multi-services recruiting station to check into enlisting, and the Army and Air Force recruiters thinking " We have GOT to let the Navy have this one; for the entertainment value to his shipmates, if nothing else!
 
I say. It's my gun I will modify it however I want. If I want to engrave my "whatever" on it as long as it's my gun I will modify how I want. I buy guns for me. Not for whomever will buy it from me later. If someone else doesn't like my modifications don't buy my gun. If I modify it and it increases in value then great. If it decreases the value I don't care because it it is a modification I wanted. I see the same thing with everything. I have seen cars that have been modified and I think "What the F@#<" But if it is what they want. More power to them
 
Oh the humanity!

When bubba goes into gunsmiting. Hopefully the fellow who did it either takes some summer NRA gonne-smithing classes or cease and desists from further efforts at gonne-smithing. :rolleyes:

As for Seaman Samples, roflmao.
 
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